SUNIER: Marine fish-ponds of Batavia. 161 
malaria; on the other hand the prosperous development of the fish-farming 
in the marine ponds might in itself form no unimportant contribution to 
the social income. 
In connection with the latter fact it will be easily understood that 
the Fisheries-Bureau (Afdeeling Visscherij) of the Netherlands East Indian 
Department of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce is interested in marine 
fish-farming, as may appear from the 1915/1920 Annals (**) of that Department. 
Also the Madras Fisheries Bureau as early as 1911 advocated the 
construction of sea-fish-ponds along the coasts of British India (3). It is 
curious to notice that the author of “Marine Fish-farming for India” (3!) does 
not mention the sea-fish-ponds along the Northern coast of Java and is 
evidently unaware of their existence. The bandeng (Chanos chanos (FORSK.)) 
is not even mentioned by Mr. HORNELL when treating of the species of 
Indian fish which appear to him suitable to be reared in marine fish-ponds. 
HORNELL (%) says that at the present day the rearing in ponds of 
marine fish on anything like an extensive scale, is practically confined to 
Comacchio in Italy, near Ravenna, and to Arcachon, in France, in the 
S. E. corner of the Bay of Biscay, 
According to HORNELL (3!) in 1909 the marine fish-ponds of Comac- 
chio covered an area of about 36500 hectares or 90200 acres. Those 
of Arcachon covered no more than 300 hectares or about 740 acres, which 
however produced per unit of area (if HORNELL’s figures for the two 
piscicultural centres are quite correct and allow of direct comparison) ten 
times as much fish as the farming at Comacchio. 
As for the marine fish-ponds of Java, those in the Residencies of 
Sourabaya, Japara, Semarang (Government-land), Pasuruan, Probolinggo, 
Rembang and Besuki, covered in 1863 according to VAN SPALL () an 
aggregate area of 40139 bahus, equal to about 32740 hectares (or 81000 acres). 
DE JAAGER and VAN LAWICK VAN PABST (!7) state that the com- 
bined sea-fish-ponds in the residencies of Bantam, Semarang (Government- 
land), Japara, Rembang, Sourabaya, Pasuruan, Probolinggo and Besuki 
(in 1885 and 1886 ')) occupied 50703 bahus 2), equal to about 35980 
hectares (or 89000 acres). 
Finally it appears from the data collected in 1903 and 1904 on 
behalf of the Government Commission on Economic Prosperity (“Welvaart 
Commissie”) ('°) that the sea-fish-ponds of the Residencies of Bantam, 
Batavia, Cheribon, Pekalongan, Semarang, Rembang, Sourabaya, Pasuruan, 
and Besuki, with the exception of those situated on private estates (particuliere 
landerijen) aggregated in the years mentioned 66762 bahus which equals 
about 47380 hectares (or 117000 acres) 3). 
') Cf. no. 19,a, page 27, of the list of literature consulted, 
2) In DE JAAGER and VAN LAWICK VAN PABST (!7) we find on page 140 of the recapitu- 
lation 59702°/,. This should be read as 507023/,. This 9 instead of the O is a misprint. 
) In addition to these the marine fish-ponds on the island of Madura contained 
9978 bahus or 7084 hectares (= + 17500 acres). 
